Burkle eyes Barneys, Bloomingdale’s Dubai, Versace’s new look, Blogger backlash, Robert Polet in Davos

| Daily Digest

Bloomindale's Dubai | Source: The National

Burkle Angles for Controlling Stake in Barneys (WSJ) “Billionaire Ronald Burkle is angling to take a controlling stake in Barneys New York, people familiar with the situation said, a bet that the company and battered luxury retail sector have seen the worst of the recession.” Bloomingdale’s opens in Dubai (The National) “From today, people in Dubai will be able to indulge in the magic of Bloomingdale’s as

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Menswear in online deluge, Armani the Emperor, Robert Polet’s technophilia, Cavalli optimism, Helping Haiti

| Daily Digest

Fashion goes live on line (AP) "The fall-winter 2010-2011 preview presentations, the first shows of the new decade, got under way over the weekend with a new fashion passion: live online showcasing. Gone are the days when house bouncers, trained to spot potential copycats, blocked any unauthorized person who dared snap a picture during a show." Defiant Armani rules out sale of empire (Financial Times) "Giorgio Armani, the doyen of Italian fashion designers, has ruled out a sale of his global empire and has no plans to step back from day-to-day involvement. Mr Armani sought to quash speculation that he may sell the house to a bigger group, saying he had no need or desire to sell and would always…

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Tentative turnaround, Embracing the web, Gucci JV approved, Liberty for Target, Return of illustration

| Daily Digest

Sack's Fifth Avenue Spring 2009 Advertising Campaign | Source: Sack's

Luxury’s turnaround? Maybe not quite just yet (Market Watch) “It may be too early to call a turnaround in the luxury-retail sector. Despite expectations that high-end shoppers are gradually coming back to stores and with retailers such as Macy’s and Saks indicating some improvement, the latest data suggest that the battered sector may need to do more to prove this pickup in momentum can be sustained.” From

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The Business of Gaga, PPR’s planned acquisition spree, Tailoring art direction, Luxury pricing, Steve J and Yoni P

| Daily Digest

The Business Of Lady Gaga (Forbes) "In the cacophony of the music business, Gaga has broken through the clutter with muzzle velocity, becoming a superstar in scarcely a year. Her first album, The Fame, is the best-selling debut album of 2009. Her single Just Dance has been viewed 87 million times on YouTube. Gaga's tracks have clocked 20 million downloads this year. One of them, Poker Face, is the most downloaded tune in the history of U.K. digital music." Heir to Gucci Empire Reveals Plan to Double Bet on Fashion (Wall Street Journal) "A 12-person team within PPR has drawn up two lists. The first enumerates a new set of 20 possible industry buyers for the three retail businesses up…

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PPR misses mark, Coach finds new balance, UK online spending drops, Singapore retail, Schmatta’s decline

| Daily Digest

PPR Sales Miss Estimates as Gucci Touches ‘Low Point’ (Bloomberg) “PPR SA, owner of the Gucci brand, reported sales that missed analysts’ estimates after demand weakened across the French company’s markets, from luxury to furniture and African goods distribution.” Coach fiscal 1Q profit falls slightly; sales rise (AP) “Luxury handbag maker Coach Inc. said Tuesday its new lower-priced handbag lines such as its

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